


The Mer

by ariminiria



Category: Aquaman (2018)
Genre: Atlantis, F/M, Magic, Mermaids, mer, mermaid, mini series
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-13
Updated: 2019-01-18
Packaged: 2019-10-09 07:50:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 6,221
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17402957
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ariminiria/pseuds/ariminiria
Summary: Before Atlantis sunk into the seas, there was a race that governed those waters first. Some people said they had gone extinct, but most believed that they had never existed at all. These were the Mer.One day, Arthur encounters a curious girl who claims to be one of these lost creatures. As a bond forms between them, Arthur fears he will soon learn of the pain his father has held all these years - losing the one he loves to the will of the sea folk.





	1. Prologue

        Banished to the Trench. That was what had become of his mother.  _That_ was why she couldn’t come to him. Vulko had finally admitted it. Arthur had stormed away, down the beach, just trying to process it all. His mother was dead… because of him.

        Finally, Arthur stopped next to a rock formation that stretched out into the water and sat back against it in the sand. The incoming tides lapped at his feet, but as usual, it didn’t bother him. Staring out over the water, a mix of emotions overwhelmed him. Guilt was the most prevalent of course, but there was anger there too. How dare those people punish her for her love? And what about his little brother? Now he would be all alone…

        In the midst of this mental turmoil, Arthur was suddenly pulled from his thoughts as an unusual movement appeared in the corner of his eye. It wasn’t just the ocean sweeping in and out, of that much he was sure. Slowly, he stood, searching for the source of the movement.

        Was that seaweed? Ah well, it was an honest mist- no, it wasn’t seaweed, it was hair! A hand rested on a rock that jutted out from the water, a pair of eyes just barely visible behind it. Was that… a girl?

        “Hello?”

        When Arthur called out to her, her eyes widened, almost fearfully, and his sixteen-year-old brain immediately wondered if maybe she was embarrassed because he had stumbled upon her skinny dipping. Before he could try to speak to her again, she leapt halfway out of the water, turning over herself and diving into the ocean. That might not have been very peculiar in and of itself had it not been for the lower half of her body. As she disappeared into the rolling sea foam, a dark, navy blue tail followed where her legs should have been.

        Arthur blinked and rubbed his eyes. He must have been imagining things. Vulko had described the Fishermen to him, and that girl looked far too much like a human or an Atlantean to be one of them. The “tail” was probably just an illusion of the water that had followed her dive. She must just be a curious Atlantean kid out on her own. That was all…

        Or was it?


	2. Chapter 1

**_Five Years Later_ **

        Arthur didn’t understand why his father still went to the end of the pier every morning. Well, maybe that was a lie. He understood. It was because he had had hope. Maybe _that_ was what Arthur didn’t understand. He had told his dad what the Atlanteans did. Told him that it was no use waiting anymore. But his dad wouldn’t hear it. He said he had a promise to keep. So Arthur didn’t argue about it any further.

        Now that he was of legal drinking age - aka now that he didn’t have to bribe the bartender anymore - he often spent his time at the local bar. Tonight was no different. Finally, Arthur headed home, arriving just as his dad walked back inside the house. Sighing, he glanced down at the dock. Nothing. As per usual. But wait - just then, he saw something oddly familiar. No, it couldn’t be… could it?

        Arthur sprinted down towards the edge of the dock. He had been right. There she was, staring up at him. This time, she didn’t swim away. She simply stared back at him as he essentially ogled her.

        Water dripped from her hair, making it obvious that she had just surfaced a moment ago. Her eyes almost looked like normal human or Atlantean eyes, but it was like they had more depth and color to them. With a flick of her tail and a splash of water, she reached up and pulled herself onto the dock, as easily as one might hop up to sit on a low fence.

        Arthur was caught off guard at first, because she wore no clothes, but it soon became apparent that there was no need. The deep navy scales of her tail continued up to her chest, blending into an iridescent flesh tone at her waist. He supposed it must be some way of helping her swim faster, like those Olympic athletes and their compressive suits. Her tail was wide and long - so long that it hung from the dock and the tips of the fin touched the water from where she sat at the edge - yet graceful, and it looked powerful enough to capsize a small boat if she so desired.

        “I saw you,” Arthur said. “Five years ago, at the beach.” That day would never leave his mind.

        The… mermaid? For lack of a better word, the _mermaid_ nodded.

        “You understand me?”

        He didn’t really know why he said that, but she seemed amused, not offended.

        “Yes, I do.”

        Her voice was entrancing, and Arthur just knew it would be even more so under the water.

        “So… Why are you here?”

        She hadn’t taken her eyes off of him for one moment. Normally, Arthur might find this unsettling, but instead, he felt rather calm about it. The soft sound of the water lapping at the shore filled the silence between them as she flicked the tip of her tail.

        “The surface has always fascinated me,” she finally replied. “Even more so when I saw an Atlantean who lives here…”

        Arthur did bristle slightly at that, but it wasn’t directed at her, just at the thought of the Atlanteans.

        “I’m only half… that. My dad lives right up there.”

        The mermaid seemed even more intrigued. “You’re half Surface Dweller?”

        He merely nodded.

        “What’s your name?”

        “Arthur.”

        “Arthur? Arthur…” She said it twice, as if testing how it felt on her tongue.

        “And what about you?” he asked, looking up into those eyes of hers. “What’s your name? And, uh… not to sound rude, but what exactly are you? I mean, I’ve heard stories of the Kingdom of the Fishermen, but… you don’t fit.”

        When she smiled, Arthur’s heart fluttered.

        “My name is (Y/N). And no, I’m not one of the Fishermen. My kind are much older than them. We swam these water before Atlantis sunk into the sea. We helped the Fishermen adapt to be what they are now, and we taught the Atlanteans to survive underwater. We’re called the Mer.”

        Arthur nodded slowly. “(Y/N)... That’s nice.”

        There was a moment of silence as they watched the sun climb higher.

        “So have you ever been to the surface before?”

        Well that was a stupid question. The answer to that was navy blue and covered in scales.

        “Oh, sorry… I…”

        (Y/N) laughed softly, and it sounded like music, though slightly dampened as if the surface couldn’t give a true portrait of her.

        “It’s okay, Arthur.”

        Each time she had said his name, it sent sparks through his body. It had to be some sort of strange… _Mer_ power.

        “No, I haven’t been to the surface before… but I would like to. Could you show me around?”

        Arthur raised an eyebrow at that. “I would but, uh, how’s that gonna work?”

        Grinning as though she had just been waiting for him to ask, (Y/N) pulled the rest of her tail up onto the dock and held her hand out over it, palm down, fingers pressed together in a flat row. It was a bit strange to watch, but her tail shrank and disappeared, along with the scales that covered the front of her abdomen up to her chest.

        Arthur looked up, away from her.

        “What’s wrong?” she asked innocently.

        He simply chuckled dryly in response. “You really haven’t ever been to the surface.”

        Still amused, he tugged his outer jacket off and held it out to her. “Here, put this on. I’ll see if I can run inside and sneak out some of my mom’s old things…”

        (Y/N) smiled and managed to get the jacket on after a couple of attempts. “These surface customs are odd… but as you wish.”

        A short time later, after explaining to (Y/N) what a seatbelt was and why she needed to wear one, Arthur was driving around his hometown, pointing things out to his new Mer friend. She seemed bright and excited about everything, no matter how trivial it may have appeared to Arthur. It was rather refreshing, really, how she looked at the world with such wide-eyed wonder. “Surface animals” were especially fascinating for her. One of the locals was walking his dog around the same time that Arthur and (Y/N) passed by, and as soon as Arthur had assured her it wasn’t dangerous, he had practically had to drag her away from petting the animal so the man could go on his way.

        Now, they walked along the cliffs near the water, just talking.

        “So how long has it been since your people visited the Atlanteans?”

        (Y/N) hummed softly. “Oh, I don’t really know… but long enough that they no longer believe we exist. We’re just myths… legends.”

        “I see.”

        Almost out the the blue, she asked, “Would you like to swim? I know you can keep up with my speeds. I saw you training with that man all those years ago, after all…”

        Arthur was a little caught off guard, but he shrugged. “Sure, why not?”

        (Y/N) grinned and headed towards the edge of the cliff.

        “Whoa whoa whoa, wait, can you transform back fast enough?” Arthur asked. “Like before you hit the water?”

        “Of course I can,” she replied, looking amused. “And these coverings you’ve provided will disappear back and forth with whichever form I’m in as well. It’s old magic, back from when my people used to visit Atlantis above the surface.”

        “Right… of course.”

        She offered her hand to him, and when he took it, an odd warmth filled him. Her hand was so small compared to his… But he couldn’t dwell on it for very long. The two of them stepped up to the edge of the cliff, and they jumped towards the water together.

        The first thing Arthur noticed was the way her eyes began to glimmer even more, almost entrancing, and that her scales seemed more decorative and beautiful than they were up on the surface, though they had already looked fascinating before. Her tail swished in the water and she smiled at him.

        “Are you ready?”

        Arthur had been right to think her voice would be even more enchanting in the ocean. This was how she was _meant_ to sound, and it was incredible.

        “Yeah…” he said, pulling himself back to the present moment. “Sure, lead the way.”

        And lead the way she did. (Y/N) took him to places underwater that he hadn’t visited since Vulko last taught him, and to some places he had never been at all.

        As they drifted over a little reef, Arthur felt her eyes on him.

        “What?”

        “What?”

        “Come on, I can tell you’ve got something on your mind. Go ahead. Ask away.”

        (Y/N) smiled just a bit, almost sheepish.

        “Not a question, really. I just… I’ve never met an Atlantean _or_ a Surface Dweller, and well, you’re _both_ … so I just…”

        Arthur sighed and shook his head. “Listen… Yeah, my mom was the Queen or whatever, but I’m not one of them.”

        “Your mother was a queen?”

        He didn’t answer for a moment, drifting apart from her slightly as they slowly swam to a halt.

        “Yeah. Yeah, she was the Queen of Atlantis, until the man she was forced into a marriage with found out about _me_ and had her executed.” Arthur knew he sounded angry, but he couldn’t help it. He still blamed himself for it all.

        “I’m sorry…” (Y/N) said softly. Something in her face had changed now, but Arthur couldn’t tell what or why. Then, she shook her head. “It’s getting late. You should return to your father.” Without another word, she began to swim away towards a bed of seaweed, her tail rippling through the water.

        For a moment, he thought about following her, but ultimately decided he wasn’t welcome. It was only when he reached his home that he realized he hadn’t asked if he would see her again the next day.


	3. Chapter 2

        As soon as his father started to head into the house after the sunrise, Arthur made his way down to dock. A strange disappointment filled him when he saw no sign of navy blue scales, but it didn’t last long. With a splash of water and a light _thump_ on the wood of the deck, (Y/N) sat at his feet, smiling as though their visit hadn’t ended as abruptly as it had yesterday.

        “Can you show me more Surface things today?” she asked as she changed forms and got to her feet.

        “I think we should talk about yesterday,” Arthur said.

        (Y/N) simply shook her head. “Put it from your mind. It’s not important.”

        Arthur really wasn’t convinced, but he didn’t press it further.

        “So what will we see today?”

        “How about you come meet my dad?” he offered. “I’m sure he’d be interested in your people.”

        “Oh.”

        “You don’t have to…”

        “No, it’s not that,” she said, looking down at the waves. “Just…”

        Arthur looked at her questioningly, but she shook her head and gave him a smile.

        “Nevermind… I’d love to meet your father.”

        He chuckled slightly. “Whatever you say, (Y/N).”

        She grinned at him and grabbed his hand, dragging him towards the house. With a fond look, Arthur followed her.

        “Dad?” he called as he walked inside.

        “Arthur? What is it?” the man asked as he peered out from the kitchen. “Oh… And who is this?” He glanced at her clothes, obviously confused.

        “Dad… this is (Y/N). (Y/N), this is my dad.”

        There was a pause as the man put the pieces together.

        “You’re from… there?”

        (Y/N) simply smiled and nodded. “Yes, I am from the waters. Oh, but not like Arthur’s mother. I’m a bit different than that.”

        Maybe Arthur should have talked to her beforehand.

        His father nodded slowly, then smiled with a hint of sadness and offered her his hand. “My name is Tom. Feel free to make yourself at home here.”

        She seemed to smile even brighter at that. “Thank you.” Then she paused and suddenly began to search herself for something.

        Tom looked at his son questioningly, but Arthur could only shrug.

        “Ah!” Her attention fell to her right forearm where a delicate jeweled bracer that Arthur had somehow failed to notice yesterday adorned her wrist. Quickly, she removed it and offered it to Tom.

        “What’s this for?” he asked, making no move to take it.

        Still, (Y/N) held it out. “Payment for your kind hospitality.”

        Now Tom looked amused. “There’s no need for that…”

        “Please sir, I insist.”

        With a glance at Arthur, Tom shrugged and accepted her gift, frowning a bit when he actually took a closer look at it.

        “Hey, (Y/N), why don’t I get you something to eat?” Arthur suddenly suggested. “Just… sit here… Dad, wanna come help?”

        Tom nodded, and (Y/N) smiled happily before sitting on the couch, looking at it in wonder.

        Arthur ushered his father into the kitchen and spoke quietly, “What is it?”

        His dad shook his head and blew out a breath of disbelief. “Is she some sort of royal where she’s from?” he asked.

        “Wha- Why do you think that?”

        In response, Tom simply held the bracer out to him. It was made of an intricately woven, shiny silver-colored metal, inlaid with three stones along the middle. The two outer gems were some sort of iridescent stone with Mer scales carved into them, and the third sparkled like a starry, night sky.

        “Oh.”

        “Oh?”

        “That explains a lot.”

        Tom sighed and set the bracer aside, moving to get something for (Y/N) to eat. “Just make sure she doesn’t have anyone after her. You don’t want to lose her…”

        Arthur put a hand on his dad’s shoulder. “Dad… this isn’t like with you and mom. I just met her yesterday.”

        His father simply chuckled dryly and handed him the plate.

        Shaking his head, Arthur returned to the other room and sat beside (Y/N) on the couch. “Here you go… some Surface food for you.”

        “Thank you,” she said, happily taking the plate.

        “So, uh, (Y/N)…” he started.

        “Mm?”

        “You wouldn’t happen to be like… say… Mer _royalty_ , would you?”

        She paused mid-bite. “....Yes?”

        Arthur sighed.

        “Is that a bad thing?”

        “I don’t know, is the military of your kingdom gonna start a war with the Surface if you don’t go back?”

        (Y/N) laughed and shook her head. “Oh no, none of them care for me, so I won’t be missed. I’m the younger child, you see. My brother is the one who’ll take the throne, so I’m not important. They’d only come after me with force if I was needed to be married to produce a male heir for the throne in the event of his death.”

        She said it so casually that, for a moment, Arthur could do nothing but stare in disbelief as she resumed eating.

        “You realize how messed up that is, right?” he almost stated. “Please tell me you see that…”

        Again, (Y/N) paused in her meal, this time setting the plate aside. “I… I know that it’s not what I want… But my people must have a king. That’s how it works.”

        Arthur wanted to… Well, he didn’t really know what he wanted to do. But he _didn’t_ want her to be forced down the same path as his mother.

        “Yeah, no anymore.”

        She looked at him curiously, and he gave her a small smirk.

        “You’re on the surface now, your people have no idea where you are… and that’s how it’s gonna stay.”

        (Y/N) smiled so brightly, she could’ve glowed. For a moment, her hair seemed to float, as if she were underwater, and without warning, she leaned forward and kissed him.

        Arthur blinked in surprise and pulled away.

        “Whoa whoa whoa… what was that?” He didn’t really know what he meant by “that”.

        “I saw a Surface woman do it yesterday,” (Y/N) explained simply. “Isn’t it what your people do when you’re happy?”

        He couldn’t help but laugh. “Uh, no… I’ll teach you… but I meant that thing with your hair…”

        “Oh, that! Well my powers over water still affect--”

        “Wait-- powers over water?” Arthur snorted softly. “I think we both have a lot to teach each other.”

        (Y/N) nodded. “I look forward to it.”

 

**_One Year Later_ **

        The storm last night had been one of the harshest the old lighthouse had ever seen, according to Tom. It almost wasn’t natural, he said over breakfast. (Y/N) was already uncharacteristically serious, but that comment seemed to dampen her spirits even further.

        When she rose and headed outside, Arthur followed her.

        “(Y/N)?”

        But she didn’t listen. She only continued down to the dock, her body language tense.

        “(Y/N), wait!” Arthur called, chasing after her.

        Finally, when she reached the edge of the dock, she stopped. As Arthur turned her to face him, the tears on her face were evident. The horrible realization dawned on him.

        “No…”

        “You understand, then?” Her voice broke.

        “No, (Y/N), this… there has to be something?”

        “Arthur, this can’t be prevented.” Finally, she looked at him, but Arthur almost wished she hadn’t.

        “You and I both know that my people conjured this storm. Their power carried it to us.”

        Arthur stubbornly shook his head. “But you said, you said only if your brother--”

        “He’s dead,” she said flatly. “He’s dead, and I have to go back. They whispered to me… on the wind. Carried my father’s message to me.”

        “What’s going to happen to you?”

        She didn’t answer.

        “(Y/N)?”

        “After I’ve served my purpose…”

        “No,” Arthur nearly growled. He wanted to hit something. It wasn’t fair. They’d had less than half the time together that his parents had. Add in the fact that they hadn’t even been together in the romantic sense for that full time, and it only made things worse.

        “The Atlanteans took my mother, I won’t let anyone else take you too.”

        “We don’t have a choice, Arthur!” she shouted, less angry than afraid and upset. “We don’t have a choice…” she repeated in a whisper. “The sea itself will come alive and drag me back. They’ll wipe your whole town off the map to get me. That’s what my people can do when the military combines their influence over the seas.”

        “Please…”

        “Arthur… I lo--”

        “Don’t…” he whispered. “Don’t say it… If you do, I won’t be able to stop myself from going after you.”

        (Y/N) gave him a pained look and settled for kissing him passionately instead, pouring all of her feelings into that one act. Then, she stepped away from him… and dove into the water.

        Arthur understood why his father still went to the end of the pier every morning.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> How badly would you want to kill me if I just ended the series there lol?


	4. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Good news, I chose not to end it at the last chapter! But we are closing in on the last couple parts. I'm sorry if I don't write as much of the movie action bits as you want to see, but since this is a mini series, I'm trying to focus on the story between the two of them rather than the overarching plot.

**_Ten Years Later_ **

        Arthur stared down at his mother’s broken trident. The last thing he had of hers, just gone… He didn’t bother to look up as Orm lifted his own trident to finish the deed. At least he would see (Y/N) again.

        But the blow never came. There was a lightning-fast blur, and Orm was wrapped in a long, serpent like tail… a navy blue tail with a powerful fin at the end. The crowd fell silent as their king struggled against the coils of the Mer. Arthur could hardly believe his eyes.

        “(Y/N)?”

        She looked back at him, very much alive, a determined expression written across her face. “Arthur… we need to go, now. I--”

        Just then, it seemed Orm had recovered from the shock of what had just happened.

        “Impossible! A Mer?” He continued struggling, to no avail. “They don’t exist…”

        (Y/N) gave him a look, then glanced up at Arthur. “Are you sure you’re related?”

        Arthur snorted. “What was that about needing to go now?”

        She rolled her eyes in response and, with a flick of her powerful tail, threw Orm all the way across the arena with such force that the stone behind him cracked on impact. The spectators gasped, and he shook himself off, clearly disoriented.

        “Capture the creature!” his voice boomed. “I will finish the contender.”

        “Not happening…” (Y/N) muttered.

        “Say, uh, how were you planning on getting us out of here?”

        Orm was swimming their way.

        “Swim over the walls, of course. That’s how I got in.”

        Arthur looked at her incredulously. “Past the hydra guns?”

        “I cloaked myself!” she said impatiently, grabbing him by the arm as his brother barreled closer.

        Just before Orm could reach them, a great swirl of water practically tore into him.

        “Is that you?” Arthur asked.

        “No…” (Y/N) replied, looking at something over his shoulder. “I think it’s her.”

        He followed her gaze. Mera.

        “Go, get in, quick.”

        Even though the vessel was only meant for two, (Y/N) managed to curl her tail small enough that she could settle in Arthur’s lap.

        “You didn’t say you knew a Mer,” Mera said, steering them at full speed towards the wall.

        Arthur simply shrugged. “I thought she was dead… Besides, would you have believed me if I told you?”

        “Good point…” she muttered.

        Mera instantly started to berate him for his rash decisions, but Arthur barely heard her. He responded offhandedly, but he was more focused on the Mer in his lap. She smiled at him, just like old times, and the next thing Arthur knew, he was summoning a whale to hide them. Right… Focus. Catch up when the coast is clear.

        As their new whale friend carried them towards the Sahara, Arthur finally had a chance to talk to (Y/N), and to introduce her to Mera, who was still in awe at the fact that Mer existed.

        “So…” Arthur began.

        “So?”

        “You’re not dead.”

        “No, I’m not.” She watched him carefully, like she was just waiting for him to ask.

        “So did your husband choose to let you live, or…?”

        He expected this to be more of a serious matter, but instead, (Y/N) smirked.

        “What husband?” she asked coyly.

        Arthur’s brow furrowed in confusion. “But…”

        She flicked her tail, looking rather pleased with herself. “Each time they brought me a suitor to force me to be with, I killed him. Don’t worry, they were all horrible, greedy Mermen,” she assured at Mera’s look of concern. “My father couldn’t stop me. Living on the surface taught me many things… made me more powerful, in a way. So I offered him and his councilmen a deal… I would do what they want… as long as I chose who I would marry.”

        “And they accepted?” Mera asked. “Who did you choose?”

        (Y/N) looked to Arthur the way she used to look at him when they held each other.

        “I said I would only marry the True King of Atlantis.”

        Arthur’s eyebrows shot up. “The Tr- _me_?”

        “Well I certainly hope it’s you,” she teased him.

        Mera grinned, seeming to quickly throw her support to (Y/N). “He has to be…”

        Arthur sighed, then shrugged. “That seems to be the general consensus. But how did you get here? They wouldn’t have just let you go…”

        (Y/N) hook her head. “But they did.”

        “How did you manage that?” Mera questioned.

        “Well obviously, at first they didn’t want to agree to my terms. They said that it could be eons before the True King takes the throne, and by then it would be too late. But I told them I knew who it was…” She smiled at Arthur. “And eventually, we all concluded that I should help put the True King on the throne so that the deal can proceed.”

        “You’re very clever,” Mera remarked.

        “Thank you…”

        If these two ever decided to team up against him, Arthur would be finished for sure.


	5. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a couple more chapters, maybe an epilogue!

        Things went south fast in Sicily. The man who Arthur had stopped on the submarine was back with Atlantean soldiers and technology. Their goal was pretty straightforward: kill Arthur and Mera, capture (Y/N). But, they had underestimated the power those two women had. There had been a mild panic on her part when whatever gadget the soldiers had brought severely dampened her powers (or as the Mer called it, her Influence). Still, she held her own in physical combat with Mera’s help.

        Arthur was more badly injured than he had ever been before, but he staggered back to them after he threw down “Black Manta”. Mera had killed a couple of the soldiers by using wine from a store, and now she and (Y/N) were fighting off the four that remained from the initial eight. One of them managed to land a light cut on (Y/N)’s side. And just like that, whatever was keeping her Influence controlled seemed to break.

        (Y/N) thrust her hand out and clenched it into a fist as if grabbing something. Then, she snatched her hand back, and instantly, all of the water was wrenched from the Atlantean suits, shattering through the face masks.

        Mera sat heavily on the ground, trying to catch her breath. “How did you do that? The suits kept me from trying it.”

        (Y/N) too inhaled heavily. “My Influence is stronger than yours. All of my people have Influence to varying degrees, with royals and nobles being the most powerful, but only a few of yours carry the potential. Unfortunately that means you aren’t taught how to use it properly anymore since my people withdrew.” She smiled wearily. “After this is all over, I’ll teach you…”

        Arthur couldn’t disguise a grunt of pain, and (Y/N)’s gaze snapped to him.

        “Arthur!”

        He knew he was talking with her, but he didn’t really know what he was saying. His focus slipped further, and then everything went dark.

        When he awoke, there was some kind of melody filling the air. Slowly, he sat up. There was some sort of covering on his wounds, and (Y/N) was dozing beside him. As he moved to stand, she stirred and blinked up at him, sighing in relief when she had woken up a bit more.

        “Arthur…” She got to her feet and hugged him close. “You had me so worried…”

        Carefully, he wrapped his arms around her in return. It made sense that she was so shaken. Nothing had ever been able to injure him that seriously before.

        “I’m alright…” he reassured softly.

        The moment hung between them blissfully until (Y/N) finally pulled away.

        “We should tell Mera you’re awake.”

        Arthur nodded, and followed her to the back of the boat. Just then, a thought struck him.

        “Where did we get this boat?”

        Mera looked up and set her instrument aside. “From the marina.”

        Arthur gave (Y/N) a look.

        “Don’t worry, I left a jeweled hairpin as payment,” she reassured.

        He rolled his eyes, but couldn’t hide a small smile. However, the smile was quickly wiped away when Mera and (Y/N) told him their destination.

        They had to go to the Trench.

* * *

        The creatures came in droves, overtaking the boat. The flares could only hold them off for so long. Arthur grabbed ahold of Mera with one hand, holding the flare high with the other. (Y/N) held onto his arm, and they all jumped in together.

        The blackness seemed as though it would never end. Foul things closed in all around as the trio approached that distant light.

        A brief moment of relief was instantly forgotten as the swirling vortex ripped them all apart.

        Arthur broke the surface and headed to shore. There were two figures on the beach. Neither of them was (Y/N). His train of thought was broken as soon as the stranger turned around.

        “Mom?”

        When she came close to him, he held her in his arms so tightly he thought one of them might break. Then, (Y/N) filled his mind once more.

        “Where is she?” He looked to Mera, then back to his mother. “Where’s (Y/N)?”

        His mother shook her head, frowning. “I saw no other, Arthur…”

        Arthur turned to look out at the water. She _had_ to be there.

        “Arthur…” Mera was beside him now. Before she could finish her thought, a shape burst from the water.

        (Y/N) changed forms and began to slosh through the water until she reached the group.

        “Is that what the inside of a blender feels like?” she asked Arthur, grinning as always. He had forgotten how proud of         herself she used to get whenever she made a “Surface joke”.

        Arthur laughed and hugged her quickly.

        “Now who’s causing the worrying?”

        Atlanna watched them curiously.

        (Y/N) looked up upon noticing the third person and stared back at her with the same interested expression. “Are you… Are you Arthur’s mother?”

        Arthur gestured between them. “Mom, this is (Y/N)… (Y/N)… my mom is alive.”

        (Y/N) paused, then folded her arms across herself, palms open, and gracefully bowed her head. Arthur had never seen this from her before.

        “Queen Atlanna…”

        His mother’s eyes widened slightly. “You’re a Mer.”

        “How did you know that?” Arthur asked curiously.

        Atlanna returned the gesture, and the younger woman relaxed.

        “According to what I once thought to be legend, that is a Mer gesture of respect, from one Highborn to another…”

        (Y/N) smiled brightly at that. “Yes, it is.”

        Arthur paused, then shrugged. At least everyone was getting along.

        Now… to get the trident.


	6. Chapter 5

        Arthur stood before the waterfall, beyond which the trident and its guardian lay. He knew it had to be done, but that didn’t make it any less daunting. Just before he stepped through, (Y/N) came up beside him.

        “You can do this…” she murmured. “I believe in you.”

        Arthur smiled slightly. “That’s all I need to hear.”

        There was a pause… Well, now was as good a time as ever.

        “(Y/N), I lo--”

        “Arthur.” She stopped him, just like he had stopped her all those years ago. “Not yet. Or I won’t be able to stop myself from trying to fight that creature for you,” she joked, trying to lighten the mood.

        He chuckled wistfully and pulled her close, kissing her softly before he stepped through the curtain of water. It was do or die now.

* * *

        When Arthur had claimed the trident and brought them all back through the portal, they all knew that their next destination was the kingdom of the Brine. It was time to stop Orm once and for all.

        There was chaos all around when they arrived. The battle had already begun, but everyone’s attention was drawn to Arthur when he and the creature burst through the ocean floor.

        Mera and (Y/N) tore through the enemy ranks like butter, using their powers in a deadly way. (Y/N) in particular moved like a serpent through the water, making Arthur wonder if legends of sea creatures weren’t simply sailors who caught a glimpse of a Mer tail. No one could stand in her way.

        Finally, Arthur was able to challenge Orm one on one. As the younger brother caught sight of their mother, Arthur locked eyed with (Y/N). It was over.

        They both moved towards each other quickly until they came together. He held her in his arms and kissed her in front of his mother and everyone. This time, he was never going to let her go.

        Finally, they moved apart to smile lovingly at each other.

        (Y/N) caught sight of something over his shoulder and frowned. “My people are here.”

        Arthur growled lowly at that and turned to follow her gaze. Sure enough, a royal-looking entourage was walking towards them across the vessel. Their clothes looked older, as if they were artifacts pulled from an archive out of necessity, but there was no mistaking who the king was.

        It was time for Arthur to give that Mer a piece of his mind. Twirling the trident upright, he strode over to the group. He didn’t fail to notice how they chose not to do that fancy gesture (Y/N) had exchanged with his mother.

        “So it’s true… the King has arrived,” said (Y/N)’s father.

        “Yep,” Arthur said, sizing him up. This typically had an intimidating effect on people, and it seemed that the Mer king was not as immune to it as he would like to pretend.

        “Perhaps I should--”

        Arthur cut him off. “I’m going to marry (Y/N). Your people can do whatever you like. Maybe it’s better that you stay legends and myths, because honestly, I’m not very impressed by the real thing.”

        One of the entourage, probably the advisor, scoffed, ignoring the warning looks from his peers. “The Mer must have a king.”

        Arthur set the end of the trident down with a threatening _thump_. “Then I guess you’ll either have to find some other heir or merge with Atlantis. You’re never getting near enough to take my family again.”

        Having said his piece, he walked back to (Y/N).

        “How did I do?” he muttered.

        She laughed softly. “Maybe could have been a bit more kingly… but it was a good start.”

        Arthur chuckled and nodded. “I think I’ll let my mother handle the diplomacies for now.” He exchanged a glance with Atlanna, and she nodded before calmly striding over to the Mer.

        “So can we say it to each other now?” he teasingly asked. “It’s been almost eleven years.”

        (Y/N) smirked and kissed him again. “I love you, Arthur Curry.”

        He was smiling so brightly, he thought his mouth might not even be able to articulate the words.

        “I love you too, (Y/N).”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the end of our journey, my friends! Although I may be willing to write a short epilogue if you ask nicely lol


	7. Epilogue

        Arthur was woken by small hands tugging at his hair.

        “Daddy, daddy wake up!” his daughter whispered.

        He opened one eye and looked over at her. “Good morning to you too…”

        Impatiently, she grabbed his hand. “I wanna go see gramma and grampa now! Come on, daddy, you promised!”

        Arthur chuckled. “Okay, okay sweetheart. Can you go play with Aunt Mera while mama and I get ready?”

        “Okay!”

        And just like that, she swam out of the room faster than a bullet from a gun, her little, golden tail moving like a blur.

        Arthur rolled over to look at his wife. She slept peacefully in her Atlantean form. While she could still breathe underwater in this form, she couldn’t swim without her tail. Gently, leaned closer and kissed her forehead.

        (Y/N) made a soft noise and opened her eyes, smiling softly. “Good morning…”

        “Good morning to you too…” he said. “Our daughter is pretty eager to go to up to the surface.”

        “Ahh… Wake you up, did she?” (Y/N) was clearly amused. “Well we better not keep her waiting.”

        She kissed him and then sat up, letting her tail reappear.

        Arthur watched her for a moment, immensely grateful that things had turned out for the better all those years ago. Now, he had his kingdom and his family, and nothing could take that away ever again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! I hope you've enjoyed this mini series :)


End file.
